Demonic Gifts is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.
Official card text
Until end of turn, target creature gets +2/+0 and gains "When this creature dies, return it to the battlefield under its owner's control."
Complete guide
Demonic Gifts is a versatile black instant that offers both a temporary power boost and a safety net for your most valuable creatures. By granting a creature the ability to return to life, you can turn a fatal trade into a strategic advantage. This card is perfect for aggressive decks looking to push damage while keeping their threats on the board.
What It Does
Demonic Gifts provides two distinct benefits to a target creature until the end of the turn. First, it grants a +2/+0 power buff, making the creature significantly more threatening in combat. Second, it gives the creature a triggered ability: if it dies this turn, it is immediately returned to the battlefield under its owner's control.
How It Resolves Step by Step
When you cast Demonic Gifts, you choose a target creature. Upon resolution, that creature gains the power bonus and the 'dies' trigger. If the creature is put into the graveyard from the battlefield later that turn, the granted ability triggers. The creature card is then moved from the graveyard back to the battlefield. Note that because it is a new object, it will not have the +2/+0 bonus or the reanimation ability once it returns.
Common Mistakes
A common error is assuming the creature returns to life multiple times in a single turn. According to official rulings, the reanimating effect works only once. Once the creature dies and returns, it is considered a brand-new object with no memory of its previous existence. If it dies a second time in the same turn, it will stay in the graveyard unless you cast another copy of Demonic Gifts.
When to Play It
The best time to use Demonic Gifts is during the combat phase or in response to an opponent's removal spell. Use it to help a creature survive a block that would normally kill it, or to ensure your commander stays on the field after a 'board wipe' effect. It can also be used offensively to sneak in those last few points of lethal damage.
Interaction examples
You attack with a 2/2 creature. Your opponent blocks with their own 2/2. You cast Demonic Gifts on your creature. It becomes a 4/2. Both creatures deal damage and die, but because of Demonic Gifts, your creature returns to the battlefield immediately, while your opponent's creature remains in the graveyard.
Dark RitualOn turn one, you cast Dark Ritual to add three black mana. You use that mana to cast a small creature and hold up enough for Demonic Gifts. This ensures that even if your opponent has an early removal spell, your creature will survive the attempt and remain a threat.
Vampiric TutorYou cast Vampiric Tutor to put a powerful card on top of your library. If your opponent tries to destroy your best creature in response to your next draw, you can cast Demonic Gifts. This saves your creature, ensuring you have a board presence to utilize the powerful card you just tutored for.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Demonic Gifts
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
The reanimating effect of Demonic Gifts works only once. Once the creature dies and returns to the battlefield, it’s a new object with no relation to the creature it was. If that new creature dies, it won’t come back.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Cormela, Glamour Thief + Demonic Gifts + Ashnod's Altar
- 1Activate Cormela by paying
and tapping it, adding 
that can only be spent to cast instant or sorcery spells. - 2Cast Demonic Gifts by paying , targeting Cormela.
- 3Activate Ashnod's Altar by sacrificing Cormela, adding
. - 4When Cormela dies, it triggers twice.
- 5Resolve the first trigger, returning Cormela from your graveyard to the battlefield.
- 6Resolve the second trigger, returning Demonic Gifts from your graveyard to your hand.
- 7Repeat.
Ashnod's Altar + Dualcaster Mage + Demonic Gifts
- 1Cast Demonic Gifts by paying its mana cost.
- 2Holding priority, cast Dualcaster Mage by paying its mana cost.
- 3When Dualcaster Mage enters, it triggers, copying Demonic Gifts, with the copy targeting Dualcaster Mage.
- 4Resolve the copy of Demonic Gifts.
- 5Holding priority, activate Ashnod's Altar by sacrificing Dualcaster Mage.
- 6When Dualcaster Mage dies, it triggers, returning it from your graveyard to the battlefield.
- 7Repeat from step 3.
Cormela, Glamour Thief + Demonic Gifts + Phyrexian Altar
- 1Activate Cormela by paying and tapping it, adding that can only be spent to cast instant or sorcery spells.
- 2Cast Demonic Gifts by paying , targeting Cormela.
- 3Activate Phyrexian Altar by sacrificing Cormela, adding .
- 4When Cormela dies, it triggers twice.
- 5Resolve the first trigger, returning Cormela from your graveyard to the battlefield.
- 6Resolve the second trigger, returning Demonic Gifts from your graveyard to your hand.
- 7Repeat.
Cormela, Glamour Thief + Demonic Gifts + Thermopod
- 1Activate Cormela by paying and tapping it, adding that can only be spent to cast instant or sorcery spells.
- 2Cast Demonic Gifts by paying , targeting Cormela.
- 3Activate Thermopod's second ability by sacrificing Cormela, adding .
- 4When Cormela dies, it triggers twice.
- 5Resolve the first trigger, returning Cormela from your graveyard to the battlefield.
- 6Resolve the second trigger, returning Demonic Gifts from your graveyard to your hand.
- 7Repeat.
Demonic Gifts + Dualcaster Mage + Viscera Seer
- 1Cast Demonic Gifts by paying , targeting any creature.
- 2Holding priority, cast Dualcaster Mage by paying .
- 3Dualcaster Mage enters the battlefield, creating a copy of Demonic Gifts, targeting Dualcaster Mage.
- 4Resolve the copy of Demonic Gifts, giving Dualcaster mage +2/+0 causing Dualcaster Mage to return to the battlefield when it dies this turn.
- 5Activate Viscera Seer by sacrificing Dualcaster Mage.
- 6Dualcaster Mage triggers, returning itself to the battlefieldt.
- 7Repeat from step 3 an arbitrarily large number of times.
- 8Resolve all Viscera Seer abilities, causing you to scry 1 an infinite number of times.
Phyrexian Altar + Dualcaster Mage + Demonic Gifts
- 1Cast Demonic Gifts by paying its mana cost.
- 2Holding priority, cast Dualcaster Mage by paying its mana cost.
- 3When Dualcaster Mage enters, it triggers, copying Demonic Gifts, with the copy targeting Dualcaster Mage.
- 4Resolve the copy of Demonic Gifts.
- 5Holding priority, activate Phyrexian Altar by sacrificing Dualcaster Mage.
- 6When Dualcaster Mage dies, it triggers, returning it from your graveyard to the battlefield.
- 7Repeat from step 3.
Goblin Bombardment + Dualcaster Mage + Demonic Gifts
- 1Cast Demonic Gifts by paying its mana cost.
- 2Holding priority, cast Dualcaster Mage by paying its mana cost.
- 3When Dualcaster Mage enters, it triggers, copying Demonic Gifts, with the copy targeting Dualcaster Mage.
- 4Resolve the copy of Demonic Gifts.
- 5Holding priority, activate Goblin Bombardment by sacrificing Dualcaster Mage.
- 6When Dualcaster Mage dies, it triggers, returning it from your graveyard to the battlefield.
- 7Repeat from step 3.
- 8Resolve all Goblin Bombardment abilities from step 5.
Cormela, Glamour Thief + Demonic Gifts + Pitiless Plunderer + Viscera Seer
- 1Activate Cormela by paying and tapping it, adding that can only be spent to cast instant or sorcery spells.
- 2Cast Demonic Gifts by paying , targeting Cormela.
- 3Activate Viscera Seer by sacrificing Cormela.
- 4When Cormela dies, it triggers twice and Pitiless Plunderer triggers once.
- 5Resolve the Pitiless Plunderer trigger, creating a Treasure artifact token.
- 6Resolve the first Cormela trigger, returning Cormela from your graveyard to the battlefield.
- 7Resolve the second Cormela trigger, returning Demonic Gifts from your graveyard to your hand.
- 8Resolve the Viscera Seer ability, causing you to scry 1.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Demonic Gifts
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